Process of dyeing.



lEXTlLES & FIBERS l l l Reference IRWIN 5. SMITH, OF MENANIJS, AND HARRY B. SMITH, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SURPASS CHEMICAL 00., INC. A CORPORATION OF NEXV YORK.

PROCESS OF DYEING.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented SEPT]. 26, 191$.

No Drawing. Continuation of application Serial No. 848,152, filed June 30, 1914. This application filed March 21, 1916. Serial No. 8554.8.

b all whom it may concern Be it known that we, InwiN J. Sirrru and Hamil B. SMITH, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Menands and Albany, respectively, in the county of Albany, State of New York, haye invented a certain new and useful Process of Dyeing, of which the following is a specification.

Ou im'entionrelates to a process of dyeing cptton material.

()ne of the objects of our invention is to shortenf the time for dyeing as well as to simplify the dyeing process and the equipment} for carrying out the process as compared with prior processes and equipment therefor.

This application is a continuation of our application Ser. No. 848,152, filed June 30, 1914.

The kind of material to which this process is primarily adapted is unbleached knit-- ted cotton goods containing: motes, shives and, or, leaf. It is obvious that the process is applicable to any class of cotton goods or yarns from which it is desired to remove the motes, shives and, or, leaf and dye the ma terial.

In processes as heretofore used for dyeing knit or woven cotton material, it has been the practice to first bleach the material and then subsequently dye it. The bleaching process was also effective to destroy specks of foreign matter, such specks consisting of motes, shives and, or leaf. A chlorin bleaching process has been most generally employed. in carrying on that process the material is first boiled in an alkaline solution for a. considerable time. It is then washed out and thereafter submitted to the action of a solution of hypochlorites which must not be hot or it will seriously injure the ma= terial. The material'is again washed out and then subjected to an acid bath to nontralize the chlorin. It is again washed out and then submitted to heated dye bath, the several operations requiring from 12 to 2; hours A peroxid of hydrogen process also has been used to some extent and it consists in the two steps of bleaching and dyeing separately, with an intermediate washing out step, and has required about 8 to 10. hours. In our process there is no separate step of bleaching, as has been heretofore considered necessary. We have discovered that to dye this character of goods it is not necessary to carry out a distinct bleaching operation as a preliminary to the dyeing of the fabric and that a satisfactory and much more economical dyeing can be effected by removing the motes, shives and, or, leafs by an oxidizing bath, which is markedly alkaline, to which bath the dye is added while the material is still in the solution. To the extent that this bath has a tendency ::to bleach, such tendency is only incidental, the whole process being carried out solely from the standpoint of removing the motes, shivcs and, or leaf without injury to the material and dyeing the same, and the reagents and their strength are chosen accordingly.

The alkaline oxidizing" agent for the bath is preferably composed of about half each of peroxid of sodium and an alkaline sodium salt such as soda ash, silicate of soda, caustic soda, phosphate of soda, alone, or a mixture of any of these salts, and is used in the proportion of about 3% of the weightot' the goods under treatment. Such a solution as this strongly alkaline and at the same oxidizing and, because it is strongly alkaline, the time required for removing the motes, shives, and, or leaf is much reduced as compared with any previous process of which we have knowledge. At the same time the alkalinity is not sutliciently intense to harden the material to be dyed. This solution has been found to operate with entire satisfaction, but it is understood that any oxygenliberating product, but preferably those corresponding to the per salts, along with the above alkaline salts or certain other alkalincs will give satisfactory results. For instance, peroxid of hydrogen, percarbonate of sodium, perborate of sodium, persulfate or sodium oikpersilicate of sodium may be used with a suitable alkaline salt or mixture of salts, suchas those above mentioned, although we have obtained the best results witlugcrmlaoisodiuni.

Ordinarily in this class of work the material is dyed of a color and shade to imitate the natural color and shade of Egyptian cotton, goods so dyed being known inthe trade as having" a mock Egyptian shade. The dyes must have qualities which are sub stantially operativcly unaflected by the oxygen vielding compounds and alkalis. We

consider that afdirect or substantive dye' having such a characteristic is referable. We have, for example, employc 1n prac- Sealch Room 8. BLEACHING a DYEING; Frumg TREATMENT t CHEMICAL MODlFL.

CANON F lEXllLES & FlBEllS,

woe-yes a suitable dye for the purpose a mix ture composed of a. suitable proportion of three well. known dyes having the trade names naphtamin orange 1 G, naphtamln brown R B and direct black G. The exact chemical compositions of these dyes are not set forth in the literature of the art, but the first two are of the naphtalnin group which are diazo dyes for cotton pre pared from amidonaphtbolidisullonio acid (l and metanaphthylenedialninsulfonic acids. The direct blacli' G is a substantive diazo dye stuff for cotton. We have also used satisfactorily some of the vegetable dyes as fustic, quebracho and r natural tannin extracts along with direct dyes, but not with as good results as with the direct or substantive dyes alone. {Junexperience has been that most of the general classes oi dyes to which we have referred can be satisfactorily used in? our process.

Ne have found it preferable in our own practice of the invention to pursue a detailed procedure substantially as follows, but we do not limit our invention to this exact mode of procedure as it may be varied without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims: The goods are entered into a bath containing water of any convenient ten'ipcratm'e, without a previous etting out. The ingredients above given are then added and the bath brought to a. boil. The stean'i is turned off and the bath allowed to cool down to about 110 F. The necessary dye stul'l' is then. added to produce the shade desired, steam again turned on and the bath gradually brought to a. boil. It boiled for from to minutes, when the steam is turned oll and the bath allowed to cool down to about 190 F. and is held substantially at this ilfilllpQi'htlll'e until the procc. is completed, which is about three and one-half hours from the time the agent-was added. During the entire treatment the material. to be dyed andthe bath are given a rela ivc movement with respect to each other so that the removal of the motes shivos .and. or, leaf is uniformly and more rapidly ell'ected and so that an even application of the dye-stuff will be made upon the material. .lt is immaterial. how this relative movement is secured. but some relative movement is preferable in order that a uniform application may be secured. The bath is then drawn oil and the goods are rinsed and whizzed.

From the above it will be seen that the time required to complete this prrx-css is only three and one-hall hours. The goods found also to much stronger than when subjected *to the chlorin. process, and the shrinlv'age in we' htis about less than. in that process. The labor, steam and water costs are also much reduced as com pared. with prior processes.

llhile we do not propose to be limited to any theory of the chemical reactions. we ol'lcr the following as an explanation of what probably takes place: When thematcrial subjected to the bath containing the alloline-oxidizing agent, the motes Shires and. or, leaf are subjected to a hemi al action which probably softens them and at the same time the material is thoroughly saturated with the alkaline solution. i leiiore the above chemical action is complete the dye stul' added and the material dyed during the remaining time necessary for the completion of this chemical action.

In our process a part oi the time here tofore necessary for a bleaching step utilized for simultaneously cleansing the material of motes, shivcs and, or, leaf and dyeing it, and by using such astrongly allcaline bath as we have des ribed-Mu: cl ans:- ing of the material l'urthcr hastened. When the cleansing process is completed, the material has been thoroughly and uniformly dycd thus shortenin the whole procby several hours and reducing the numher of operations.

During' the boiling of the material in the bath, the shives, motes and. or, leaf are softened and put in such condition that they will be removed either mechanically as the material passes through the bath, or will be put in such condition that they will take the dye and be dyed a color the same as that of the other material. and in this way will be removed for the purposes of this in vention, it being understood that a dyeing of the specks so that they cannot. be detected by the eye is a removal in the sense in which that word used in this case.

lhe materials used in the all aline-oxidizing agent and the dye stull must be selected so that they will not have mutual inlerler innaction upon each other. it is found that the agent and such dye stull's as are above mentioned do not have any mutual intcrlcn inn action upon each other. but it is understood that the dye stulls and other materials given are merely examples. and we are not limited to any given combination oi dye studs and alkaline-oxidizing agent.

llajving described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let tors Patent is; l

l. The process of dyeing cotton material containing motes, chives and, or. leal which consists in subjecting the same to an alkaline oxidizing bath adapted to soften the motes. shivcs and. or. lcul and to hemically attack the same. the bath contaii'iingz also a direct or re; Tble dye stud of a composition s||b1--:tantially operatively unallcctcd by the othcr ingredients of said bath.

2. The process ol dyeing cotton umtcrial containing" motes, shivcs and, or, leaf which consists in subjecting said material to an Search Room alkalino-oxidizing hath adapted to remove said motes, slaves or leaf and sulnectmg said material to a dye-stud operatively unati'ected by said bathwhile it is in the said bath.

3. The process of dyeing uncombed cotton material containing motes, shives and, or, leaf, which consists in subjecting said material to an alkaline-oxidiaing treatment in the presence of a dye operatively unatl'ected by said treatment.

l-. The process of dyeing cotton matericil containing motes, shives and, or, leaf which consists in treating said material in an alka line-oxidizing bath adapted to soften or loosen the motes, shivesand, or, leaf and adding to said bath, while said material. is therein, a dye stuii' operatively unaffected by said bath.

5. The process of dyeing cotton material containing motes, shives and, or, leaf which consists in subjecting the same to an oxidizin; bath including an alkaline substance adapted to soften the motes, shives or leaf and a substance adapted to chemically attack said motes, shoes and, or leaf, the bath containing also a dyes-tuft of a composition substantially opcratively unaliected by such mixture.

l). The process of dyeing cotton containing foreign matter which consists in snlr jccting said cotton to an alkaline-oxidizing bath containing a dye-stuff adapted to give the desired shade and operatively unafi'ectcd by said bath.

7. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks of foreign matter which consists in boiling said material in the presence of an aNadine-oxidizing agent and a dycstuli substantially operati ely unafl'ected by said agent.

s. The process of dyeing cotton material containingspecks of foreign matter, which consists in subjecting said material to an alkaline-oxidizing bath to which a dye-stuli', substantially opcratively unaii'ectcd by said bath. has been added and producing a continuous movement of the material in said bath to insure an even action of the bath upon said material.

E). The process of dyeing cotton material containingspecks of foreign n'iatter, which consists in boiling said material in an alkalinc-o.\ i lining bath of strong alkalinity to which has been added a dyc-stull'operatively lln=1llcctcd by said bath.

1o. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks of foreign matter which consists in boiling said material in an al kalinc-oxidizing bath and again in said bath with a dyesluli' added thereto which is op crati ely unali'ectcd by said bath.

ll. The process of dyeing cotton material ofwater, adding ingredieii-ts to said bath to .render it alkalitie-oxidizing, bringing said bath to a boiling temperature, allowing said bath to partially-cool, adding to said bath a dye-stilt? operatively unaffected thereby, gradually bringing said bath again to, and holding it at, a boiling temperature, allowing said bath to again partially cool, and maintaining it at the lesser temperature un til the material is dyed.

12. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks o1 foreign matter which consists in placing said material in a bath oi water, adding ingredients to said bath to render it alkaline-oxidizino, bringing said bath to a boiling temperature, allowing said bath to partially cool to approximately 110 F., adding, to said bath a dyestutl operatb ely unaffected thereby, gradually bringing said bath again to, and holding it at, a boiling temperature for approximately fifteen to thirty minutes, allowing said bath to cool to approkimately 190 F. and maintaining" it at approximately that temperature until the material is dyed.

13. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks of foreign matter which consists in boiling said material in an alkaline-oxidizing bath of marked alkalinity, adding to said bath a dyestuli' opcrati'. ely unaffected thereby and again boiling said material in said bath. p

1-1. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks of foreign matter which consists in subjecting said material to the action of a bath containing in solutiona mixture of pcroxid of sodium and an alkaline salt, adding to said bath a dyestufl' operatively unaffected by 'said bath and boiling said material in the resulting bath.

15. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks of foreign matter which consists in subjecting said material to the action ofa bath containing in solution an amount equal to approximately 3% in weight of the material of approximately one-hall. pcroxid of sodium and one-half an alkaline salt, adding to said bath a dyestufi operatively unaffected thereby and boiling 9 said matcrialin the resulting bath. 1

16. The process of dyeing cotton material containing specks of foreign matter, which consists in subjecting said material to afibath containing approximately equal amounts of peroxid of sodium and an alkaline sodium salt and addin to said bath a dye-stud operatively unaliected thereby.

in testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification. IRWIN J. SMITH.

1 IARR Y B. SM 1TH. 

